3/28/2023 0 Comments Narrator point of view![]() An all-knowing narrator can also be useful for creating dramatic irony, revealing details that the characters don’t know themselves. On the other hand, the third person isn’t just great for characters keeping secrets from the reader. ![]() It can also be useful when writing any kind of novel that wants to deploy backstory or character history at a time when it can have maximum impact. This lends itself particularly well to thriller and mystery novels, where some holding back certain bits of exposition is essential to heightening the suspense. Third person adds a little more distance, making it easier to flesh out main characters or move the story along without divulging information you wish to reveal later on. One challenge of writing in first person is knowing how to toe the line between what your narrator knows and what they should reveal. While third person narration can allow the reader a great deal of intimacy with viewpoint characters, there are added benefits to staying out of your protagonist’s head. (Psst! For more help with characterization when dealing with a large chorus of characters, you can check out our free character profile resource below.) But having an enormous cast all narrating in first person can be confusing, and would put a lot of pressure on the writer to sustain multiple convincing character voices. Of course, one could argue that it’s possible to write a sprawling novel written from multiple first-person perspectives. Martin’s third person narrator has the flexibilty to play this scene through the eyes of a nervously excited seven-year-old while also revealing useful expositional details like the idea of a “King-beyond-the-Wall” and Westeros’s decade-long gaps between winters. It made Bran's skill prickle to think of it. ![]() Robb thought he was a wildling, his sword sworn to Mance Rayder, King-beyond-the-Wall. The man had been taken outside a small holdfast in the hills. It was the ninth year of summer, and the seventh of Bran's life. This was the first time he had been deemed old enough to go with his lord father and his brothers to see the king's justice fine. They set forth at daybreak to see a man beheaded, twenty in all, and Bran rode among them, nervous with excitement. The morning had dawned clear and cold, with a crispness that hinted at the end of summer. With each chapter break, Martin shifts to a new viewpoint character (while staying in third person), allowing him to span vast gaps in the geography of his world and give insight into each character’s personality. Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire series, an epic fantasy series sprawling in scope that features an entire chorus of POV characters. Complex stories with a large primary cast often benefit from a narrator who can swiftly move between characters and locations instead of being tethered to your viewpoint character. However, can be restrictive if you want readers to see the bigger picture. Third person stories often have a wider scopeįirst and second person stories are great for their immediacy, placing the reader right in the action.
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